This recipe was submitted by Eddy Aranguren, MSM Health Promotion and Risk Reduction worker at The AIDS Network, as a part of our A Taste at Home campaign.

This delicious vegetarian lasagna blends cream-sauce-based and tomato-sauce for a base and is a rich and satisfying meatless alternative

Ingredients

• 1lb butternut squash
• 1 largeeggplant
• 1/2large onion
• 1 can or 14oz (400g) finely chopped tomatoes
• 1tbsp fresh basil finely chopped
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1/2tsp sugar
• 1tbsp butter
• 1 1/2tbsp flour
• 1cup milk
• Lasagna pasta
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
• 1/4cup parmesan, grated

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Dice the squash and eggplant into fairly small cubes – around 1cm. Dice the onion as well.
3. Roast squash in one dish and eggplant and onion in another, drizzling both with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, for around 45mins.
4. When the vegetables are almost done, make the sauces:
   • Warm the chopped tomatoes in a pan over a medium heat along with the basil, oil and sugar. Cook for a minute or two then set aside.
   • In another pan, melt the butter and once starting to bubble, add the flour. Cook for a couple minutes until starting to go nutty.
   • Reduce the heat and add the milk a little at a time. Once all added and smooth, add half of the mozzarella and stir in so that it melts. Set aside.
   • Once cooked, add the eggplant to the tomato sauce and the squash + onion to the cheese sauce.
5. Start layering up the lasagna with a bed of pasta, then place half the eggplant mixture in, add another layer of pasta, then the squash mixture followed by another layer of pasta and finally the rest of the eggplant.
6. Cover the top with up the rest of the mozzarella and then sprinkle over the parmesan.
7. When ready, bake in the oven for approx 15-20 mins or until gently golden on the top.

While we may not be able to come together for an evening of great food and supporting our cause, great food can still bring us together, and so we are sharing with you the favourite recipes of our team, volunteers and community partners! Over the next few weeks we will be adding to this virtual cookbook to help inspire you in your own kitchen, and we hope our A Taste at Home campaign bring you the comfort these recipes bring our contributors. While we may be physically distant, we can still come together in a spirit of sharing and giving.

If you are enjoying our recipes and you are able at this time, please consider making a donation to The AIDS Network. Fundraising is a crucial component in our ability to provide programs and services to our most vulnerable clients. Food security programs are especially necessary in this difficult time, and are wholly supported by fundraising dollars. You can make a donation through our Canada Helps page. To find out more about the campaign and to see other recipes, visit www.aidsnetwork.ca/a-taste-at-home